Todd Paris, Staff Writer and Salisbury Attorney
♦ At the Rowan County Commission tonight, Commissioner Craig Pierce stepped down to the public comment podium and claimed his three minutes in front of two rows of employees sent out by the school system to create the appearance of support for their extravagant “No Bid” Apple Deal. Craig eventually voted “no” on RSS spending $16 million more dollars on the renewal of Superintendent Moody’s failed “One on One” computer take-home scheme. Getting out two rows of “teachers”, when you are the largest surviving employer in Rowan County, is probably not so hard when their job survival depends on falling in line with a school system where freedom of speech is distinctly frowned upon.
Pierce brought up RSS’s low statewide system report cards and how these extremely expensive Apple computers failed to bring about any meaningful increase in test scores. Craig asked those RSS employees to rededicate themselves to teaching children. Based upon Facebook content since observed, they appeared to be offended and shocked at his comments. Those test scores and letter grades handed out by the NC Department of Public Instruction were pretty damning.
At the last Commission meeting Pierce raised questions as to why cheaper alternatives to Apple were not looked at and why this was a “no bid contract” instead of letting other corporations bid and compete. He also questioned why we were not teaching on the Windows operating system which is far and away more prevalent in the business and work world. How dare Craig question Dr. Moody.
We have already noticed there are better and cheaper alternatives rated higher by national experts.
Rowan taxpayers are not just a bunch of saps to be plopped into the bubbling brown waters of high taxation. Thank goodness Craig Pierce is at least trying to stop this taxpayer fleecing.
Lest we forget the Rowan-Salisbury School Systems most recent grades (Scroll to the bottom for the overall school system grades):
